The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus with a sorter and, more particularly, to an image forming apparatus with a sorter which selectively stores in a plurality of bins copied papers sequentially produced by the apparatus.
As shown in FIG. 1, a conventional sorter 10 has a sorting section 14 in which paper sheets P are classified and stored in a plurality of vertically arranged sort bins 12. Above the sorting section 14 is arranged a non-sorting section 18 which has a non-sort bin 16 for storing the paper sheets P which are not sorted. A sort paper sheet guide path 20 extends horizontally in the sorter 10 to guide the paper sheet P discharged from a paper sheet discharge section toward the sorting section 14. A non-sort paper sheet guide section 22 extends vertically in the sorter 10 to guide the paper sheet P discharged from the paper sheet discharge section to the non-sorting section 18. A guide selector 24 is arranged at the branch portion of these guide paths 20 and 22. The selector 24 is driven by a driving mechanism 26 to select one of the guide paths 20 and 22 so as to guide the paper sheet P to one of the sections 14 and 18. The sort paper sheet guide path 20 is connected to a paper sheet convey path 28 which serves to guide the paper sheet P first horizontally and then vertically. The paper sheet P which is selected to be guided along the sort paper sheet guide path 20 by the guide selector 24. Pawls 30 are arranged in the vertical convey portion of the paper sheet convey path 28 to face the inlet ports of the respective bins 12. The pawls 30 are selectively driven to sort the paper sheet P guided on the vertical convey portion of the paper sheet convey path 28 into a predetermined bin 12.
The conventional sorter as described above requires the driving mechanism 26 for driving the guide selector 24 to select one of the guide paths 20 and 22, resulting in high manufacturing cost of the sorter. Furthermore, the operation timing of the guide selector 24 and of the pawls 30 for sorting the paper sheets P into the respective bins 12 must be synchronized. Error in such synchronization will give rise to sorting errors. A drive mechanism for separately driving a plurality of pawls 30 must be incorporated, which makes the structure of the sorter complex.